Shadows
by SoraEclipse
Summary: (Makoto x Reader). You have moved back to Japan after 10 years away. On the way to your first day of school, you meet a bright boy who will change your world forever. Will the shadow of your past stop him though? (There will be M rated chapters later on.) Language warning! Title change!
1. Chapter 1

**Title change! I didn't like my original title, so it has been changed. Original: The Eclipsed Melody  
**

Note: (y/n) = your (first) name (l/n)= last name (f/c)= favorite color [I do not own Free! or any of its characters. I am simply a fangirl.]

* * *

The melody of wind chimes echoes down the stone descent while fallen leaves dance to and fro on the path before you. A white torii stands proud in front of you, crossing over a stone stairway. As you approach it, you begin to dread the coming path. You step cautiously out onto the stairs and glance down the steep descent, a gulp getting caught in your throat. Even though it isn't too far, walking down stairs early in the morning is not wise, especially since you are an anti-morning kind of person.

Your neighborhood lies on a mountain in front of the Misagozaki Shrine, overlooking a fishing harbor. A great stone stairway runs up and down the hillside, connecting the shrine to the maze of pathways that run through the neighborhood. Every day, you will have to walk halfway up the steps to a single torii. There, a right turn lands you in front of your two-story home. Further up the steps lay two more torii and the shrine grounds at their backside. Behind the shrine grounds, a vast sea stretches towards the horizon. Throughout the day, the sun reflects endlessly on the surface, leaving all who see it speechless.

You lived here in Iwatobi as child, but had to move to America when your father was transferred. Your fraternal grandmother moved into the house to take care of it while your family was in America. However, she passed away a little under a year ago, leaving the house vacant. You're parents moved to England with your older brother when he departed for Oxford, forcing you to leave your friends in America. Reluctant to go with them to England, you decided to move back to Japan and take care of your childhood home. Now, ten years after leaving Iwatobi, you have returned to finish high school: alone.

Today is your first day at Iwatobi High School. You are nervous about transferring in at this time of the year; not many students transfer in halfway through the second semester. However, you don't let it scare you. Now, dressed in your new uniform and a (f/c) jacket, you stare down the long stairway and take a few cautious steps down.

'_Ugh, do I really have to walk to school every day? This is going to take some time to get used to...'_

A tiny mew drifts up from the side of the stairs, dragging you from your thoughts. You glance down to find a miniature white kitten staring up at you.

_ 'Aww, it's so cute!' _you inwardly stoop down and begin stroking the kitten's head. It's short fur dances beneath your fingers. The kitten's large eyes look up at you lovingly as your stroke it's soft fur. You giggle to yourself. You and your sister had always wanted a kitten, but your parents always said no. Countless memories of your childhood here play through your head. Small tears begin to sting the back of your eyes as you remember your sister. However, a gentle voice cuts through your memories before they flow over.

"He really likes you!"

You look over towards the voice. A tall boy is standing further down the steps, smiling up at the two of you. His hair is brown with a slight tint of green while his eyes are a pure, clear green. Like you, he is wearing a high school uniform.

_ I feel like I have seen that uniform before..._

"That little guy is really picky about who touches him," the boy continues. He walks up and sits down on the step below you, pulling out a cat toy in the process."Are you a cat person as well?" He holds the feather toy above the kittens head as he speaks, lifting it higher whenever the kitten jumps up for it.

"I love cats!" you reply cheerfully. Small laughs escape from your throat as you watch theire game. "They are so warm and playful!" The small kitten trots over to you places it's paws on your knee. This time, you squeal aloud before stroking it's head again. The boy laughs whole heartedly at your reaction. You playfully growl and stick your tongue out at the boy. After a moment of silence, you both erupt in laughter.

_ 'He has the dreamiest laugh ever! Please tell me that he lives around here!'_

"Did you just move here?" he asks, trying suppressing his laughter. Wiping a tear from the corner of his eye, he turns back towards you.

"Yeah. I moved in about a week ago." You point towards your house before continuing. "I live up there."

"Oh, really? I never knew that the house went up for sale." Slight confusion crosses his face.

"My grandmother was living there, but recently passed away. So, I decided to move in and take care of it."

"I'm sorry for your loss. Well, if you ever need anything, I live right down there." The boy motioned to a brown house at the bottom of the stairs.

The two of you talked about random topic for a while until realization dawned on you.

"Shit!" you yell, quickly standing up and dusting your skirt off. "I'm going to be late! It was nice to meet you! Bye!" You gave a swift farewell before racing down the stairs. If you were late for your first day, you would never hear the end of it.

* * *

A:N/ Hello! This is the first fanfic that I am posting here. I wasn't going to post this until next week, but, in honor of Makoto's birthday, here it is! There aren't very many Makoto x Reader stories on FanFiction, so I felt the need to make one. Hope you guys enjoy!


	2. Chapter 2

Note: (y/f/n) = your full name [I do not own Free! or any of its characters. I am simply a fangirl.]

* * *

Orange, yellow, and red leaves fall and paint the road. This is your favorite time of the year and you are excited about attending school in Japan. As you walk to school, memories of that morning's encounter fill your head.

_ I wonder if he will be there again tomorrow. It would be cool to meet him again. That uniform he was wearing...I feel like I have seen it before... _You stop dead as other students pass you. You had seen it before. In fact, you can see it right now. _Why didn't I realize it when I met him?! I am wearing the same uniform as him! That means, we go to the same school! Score. _You start walking again, eager to get to school.

Later that morning, you are standing outside of your new homeroom, waiting for the teacher to call you in. Not long after, you hear the teacher's voice flow into the hallway.

"We have a new student joining us today. She just moved to Japan, so show her the ropes." Murmurs fill the room as their excitement and anticipation to meet you rises. "You can come in now," the teacher calls to you. You open the door and step inside the classroom for the first time. All eyes are on you as you walk towards the teacher's desk.

"Introduce yourself," he commands you.

"My name is (Y/f/n). I just moved here from America, but I did live here when I was younger. So, nice to meet you. Umm.." You look over at the teacher, not knowing what else to say. He looks slightly annoyed at your pathetic introduction, but says nothing on the subject.

"Your desk is in the back by the window. Ryūgazaki," he calls to one of the students.

"Sir?" A boy with purple hair and red glasses responds.

"Share your textbook with her." He turns to you before continuing. "You will be sitting next to Ryūgazaki, go take your seat.

"Yes sir." You make your way to the back of the room while 'Ryūgazaki' waves you down. You take your seat and the teacher begins.

"Before we start, I have a little surprise for all of you." He holds up a stack of papers and smiles gleefully. "Pop quiz." The whole class groans at those words. "This will be fun," the teacher hums.

"I'm Ryūgazaki Rei," the boy next to you begins, turning towards you and holding out his hand.

"I'm (Y/n), nice to meet you." You shake his hand before continuing. "Oh, and just call me (Y/n). It feels weird to be called by my last name."

"Well then, it's nice to meet you (Y/n)-san." He smiles as he shakes your hand.

The teacher clears his throat, dragging your attention back to the front of the room. He slightly glares at you, but quickly turns and begins passing out tests. _Well this is going to be fun..._

* * *

The school bell rings, signaling the beginning of lunch. Rei stands up and turns to you with a smile.

"Shall we eat lunch together?" You are startled by his question, not expecting his offer.

"N-no. I couldn't possible bother you during lunch as well." Rei gives a troubled expression at your words.

"Why on earth do you think it would be a bother? Honestly, such thoughts are not beautiful." He pushes up his glasses and looks down at your with a huge smirk on his face. You laugh at the ridiculous face he is making.

"I'll take you up on your offer then." You smile at him, happy to have a friend on your first day.

"Rei!" A high voice calls from the other side of the classroom. The two of you turn to see a young blond boy running towards you two.

"Nagisa-kun, don't yell in the classroom," Rei scolds. He turns towards you as the boy apologizes. "(Y/n)-san, this is Nagisa-kun, a close friend of mine." The boy faces you and smiles widely.

"Hi!" he starts. "I'm Hazuki Nagisa, just call me Nagisa. It's great to meet you (Y/n)-chan." You giggle at his forwardness.

"It's great to meet you too Nagisa-kun."

"Hey, why don't we all eat lunch together? (Y/n)-chan can meet the other club members too!"

"Club members?"

"Yeah, Rei-kun and I are on the swim team. We all eat lunch on the roof together, you should join us!"

"Then I really would be a bother." You shake your head.

"(Y/n)-san..." Rei scolds. You release a sigh and submit.

"Alright, I will join, as long as I am not in the way that is. I just need to stop by the cafeteria. I didn't have time to pack my lunch this morning."

"It's settled then!" Nagisa cheers. The three of you make your way towards the cafeteria, then up to the roof.

* * *

A girl's voice pipes up when you three reach the roof.

"Nagisa-kun! Rei-kun! What took you two so long?" The voice came from a red-headed girl. You notice that her tie is the same color as yours. _She is in the same year as me huh? _

"Sorry, Gou-chan, Haru-chan." Nagisa chimes. "Where is Mako-chan?"

"He went looking for you two!"

You stand awkwardly behind Rei while Nagisa and the girl bicker back and forth_._

"Who is that behind you Rei?" she questions when she notices you. Rei is about to introduce you when Nagisa acts first. He pulls you out from behind Rei and holds you in the open.

"This is (Y/n)-chan! She is a transfer student who joined our class today." Nagisa seems so happy introducing you that some of your nerves vanish. Nagisa begins pointing to the others, "This is Gou-chan, a first year like us."

"Kou," she states simply before turning to you. "Nice to meet you, just call me Kou."

"Nice to meet you, my name is (y/f/n)."

"Mind if I call you (y/n)-chan?"

"Not at all, actually, I would rather that." You smile, happy with your new friend.

"The quiet one over there is Haru-chan. He is a second year," Nagisa continues, pointing to a boy with black hair.

"Lay off the -chan." He looks up at you before continuing. "I'm Nanase Haruka." is all he says before looking back down.

"Nice to meet you Nanase-senpai." He is a bit hard to talk to, but you're sure that he is a nice person.

The five of you sit down and begin to eat lunch together. Suddenly, the door to the roof behind you opens and a familiar brunette walks out.

"Geez, I looked all over for you two!" he scolds.

"Sorry Mako-chan." Nagisa apologizes. "Anyways, meet (y/n)-chan, today is her first day."

When the boy looks down at you, his eyes widen.

"Ah!" you both gasp in unison.

"What what, do you two know each other?" Nagisa inquires.

"You're the one from this morning..." You thought that you might meet him again, but never expected him to be close friends with the first students you talked to today.

'Mako-chan' seems equally surprised by the meeting.

"I didn't know that you were a student here," he says.

"Um, let me properly introduce myself," you start, standing up. You stick out your hand as you begin. "My name is (y/f/n), it's nice to meet you." He takes your hand and holds it in a strong grip, slightly laughing at your stiff introduction.

"My name is Makoto. Tachibana Makoto."

* * *

A/N: Yay! Chapter 2! I love writing this story honestly and I hope you readers will enjoy reading it. Sorry about any grammar errors, English is not my strong point. Chapter 3 will probably be up this Sunday. I only have time to write on the weekends so expect updates every Sunday.


	3. Chapter 3

First thing Thursday morning, you are summoned into the teachers' lounge. Mr. Onodera, your home room teacher, ushers you over to his desk and commands you to take a seat.

"How has your time here at Iwatobi been so far, (l/n)-san?" he begins.

"Fine. I don't really know the school that well yet, but the school isn't that bad." _It would be better if you didn't always glare at me_, you mutter to yourself.

"That's good. I know that you are still new, but have you decided on which club you will to join yet?"

"Umm, no sir. I thought that I was exempt from club activities." You had received special permission from the school to take on an after-school job. Though your parents were paying the mortgage and sending money, you were left to pay for anything that their monthly check didn't cover.

"Considering your situation, the school has allowed you to take on a job. However, it wouldn't hurt to join a club and meet new people." He picks up a small stack of papers from his desk. "Here are some club fliers. Please choose one before the weekend."

"And (l/n)-san," he says, rising from his chair, "this school has zero tolerance towards fights."

You grimace at his words, but only reply with a simple, "Yes sir." You quickly stand and leave the teachers' lounge.

_So,_ you think to yourself as you return to the classroom, _even the lousy home room teacher knows about it. How annoying._

* * *

The lunch bell echoes through the halls and kids rush to the cafeteria to be first in line. You let out a deep sigh and gather your things. You would have to spend the whole lunch looking through clubs and their fliers.

"What's wrong, (y/n)-san?"

You look up towards the voice to see Rei. Nagisa and Kou are standing close behind him, lunches in hand.

"That was a huge sigh just then (y/n)-chan!" Nagisa observes.

"I'm fine," you reassure them with a fake smile. "Anyways, I'm ready. Shall we head up?"

The four of you head up to the rooftop to join the other swim team members. Though you had only met them last week, it seems so natural to eat lunch together. The other members always give you a warm welcome and greet you. Today, however, you cannot enjoy their company. A dozen papers are scattered around you as you examine all the options. Another sigh escapes your lips, catching several gazes.

"Are you sure your alright (y/n)-san?" Rei questions again. A worried expression brandishes his face as he watches you intently.

"It's nothing, really," you grumble. Rei, however, is not buying your words.

"It's not beautiful to lie," he states, pushing up his glasses in the process. By this time, the others have gone quiet and tuned into your conversation. With all of their eyes trained on you, you are unable to keep quiet.

"Onodera-sensei told me that I have to join a club by this weekend. So, now I have to spend hours just looking through these damn fliers." You gesture towards the papers strewn around you. A slight headache forms due to your annoyance. Nagisa's voice was the first to ring out.

"Why don't you join the swim team?" he suggests.

"Huh?" is all you can mutter. The thought of joining the swim team had never really crossed your mind. You can swim, but seeing water always brings back unpleasant memories. "I'm not really that fast of a swimmer. Plus, I've never even competed before." This time, it is Kou's voice that pipes up.

"That's fine! Rei couldn't swim at all when he joined; look at him now. We could easily teach you how to swim better. Plus, it isn't very cold yet, so you can learn at the Iwatobi pool. Makoto-senpai," she turns to the brunette with hopeful eyes, "would you mind teaching (y/n)-chan how to swim?"

"Of course not, I would love to." Makoto gleefully responds. "That is," he looks directly at you, "if (l/n)-chan doesn't mind." Makoto's gentle smile quickly causes your face to heat up. You mind flies off into a thousand different directions.

"Um, are you sure Tachibana-senpai? Wouldn't it take away from your own practice?" Now obviously flushed, you struggle to respond to him. _Tachibana-senpai will be teaching me how to swim? But...then wouldn't we have to get really close to one another? _Each and every thought that enters your head deepens your blush.

You would be lying if you said that Makoto's body wasn't to your liking. Though you get to see him every morning, the thought of him giving you special lessons while he was half-naked was...

"(y/n)-chan," Nagisa's voice shattered your perverted fantasies, "would you like to join the swim team?" Everyone waits patiently for your answer, all hoping for your consent.

"Please let me think about it for a bit." Before anyone (Nagisa) can protest your decision, the school bell rings, signaling the end of lunch. You all disperse and head towards your own classes.

* * *

The rest of the afternoon passes exceedingly slowly. You try to focus in class, but fail. Thoughts of seeing Makoto swim everyday fill your head.

_Maybe I should join the swim club. It would get Onodera-sensei off my back and I would get to spend the afternoon with Makoto and the others. But, what am I suppose to do about THAT issue? Kou-chan said Rei-kun wasn't able to swim when he joined, right? I guess I should go talk to him about it._

The moment that your last class ends, you race out of the classroom to find Rei. He is about to head to the pool with Nagisa when you dart into their classroom. Not listening to the slew of questions coming from the both of them, you grab Rei's hand and drag him out to the back of the school.

"What the..," he chokes out between ragged breaths, exhausted from the sudden sprinting. "What's wrong (y/n)-san?"

"R-rei-kun..umm," you stutter. _Great, I've dragged him out here. Now what do I say?! _"Umm, Kou-chan said that, when you joined the club, you didn't know how to swim. Is that true?"

"W-well, yes it is." He lets out a large sigh before continuing. "I had all the theories memorized, but couldn't swim when the time came. Nagisa-kun, Makoto-senpai, and even Haruka-senpai tried to teach me how to swim, but I would just sink."

"So what did you do?"

"Well, I realized that the only stroke I hadn't attempted was the butterfly stroke. I tried the stroke out before practice one day and," he motioned to our position, "here we are. It turned out to be the only one I could accomplish." He gives you a thoughtful gaze before continuing. "(y/n)-san, can you not swim? That is the only conclusion I can arrive at as to why you called upon me." He pushes his glasses up. "Is that correct?"

"It's not that I can't..." your explanation drifts off. You lower your eyes to the leaf covered ground. "I just-"

"It's alright (y/n)-san." he interjects.

"Huh?"

"You don't have to tell me if you aren't ready. If you are every ready to though, I will listen." Rei places his hand softly upon your head, smiling down at you. It is the first time you have seen Rei give such a broad smile. Your face heats up at the contact.

"Rei-kun...thank you."

The two of you stand there like that for several minutes before Rei speaks up again.

"Hey, come watch practice today."

"But I-"

"Please? I want you to watch me swim" You can see a tint of blush on Rei's face. A slight giggle escapes your lips at the sight.

"Heh; alright, I'll come watch."

* * *

The two of you arrive at the swim club fifteen minutes after the start of practice. The moment that Kou sees you two, she stalks over; displeasure clearly written across her face.

"Rei-kun! (y/n)-chan! You two are fifteen minutes late to practice!" she scolds. "Rei-kun, hurry up and get changed!" As she watches Rei run towards the locker room, you speak up.

"Kou-chan, it is my fault that Rei was late. Please don't get mad him." Kou turns to face you at those words.

"I'm not mad (y/n)-chan, don't worry." She gives you a simple smile, showing the truth in her words. "What were you two doing anyways? Nagisa-kun said that you practically dragged Rei away from the classroom."

"I had to ask Rei-kun a few things, that's all."

She gives you a searching look, but asks no more. Rei returns from the locker room in his bathing suit not long after. It is a long black swim pants style suit with purple stripes running the length of his legs. He climbs on to the starting block and waits for Kou's signal. She blows her whistle and he dives into the water.

_His diving form is so beautiful. It's hard to believe that he can only swim butterfly._ You watch him for a while, but soon become restless.

"Is there anything I can do to help since I'm here?" Just sitting around and doing nothing doesn't sit well with you. If there was anything you could do to help, you would do it.

"Hmm," she hums, considering your request. "Would you mind timing Makoto? He wants to start working on trimming down his time, however I need to work with Rei and Nagisa so I can't time him."

"No problem." You retrieve a stopwatch from Gou and walk over to the lane where Makoto is slowly swimming across the pool.

His long arms slowly cut through the water's surface as he glides along the lane on his back. His perfectly toned body rests flush atop the water while strong legs gracefully kick the water below the surface. Though his movements are long and drawn out, his body moves swiftly across the water. Upon approaching the far wall, Makoto flips his body and submerges, gliding into the turn. Moments later, he returns to the surface on his back. As his body draws near, you can see all of the movements of the muscles on his chest. You glance away, slightly blushing at the thoughts that had run through your head.

You turn back just in time to see Makoto connect with the wall. His beautiful smile resurfaces when he notices you standing above him.

"Hey (l/n)-chan. I'm glad that you came to watch practice."

"Hey Tachibana-senpai. Kou-chan said that you needed someone to time you. I would love to help."

"Thank you!" Makoto chimes. He pulls himself into the ready position and waits for your call.

* * *

A:N/ Sorry that this is a day late. My internal clock got way off yesterday. (I thought that is was Saturday the entire day!) Anyways, here is Chapter 3. I apologize for any grammatical errors. I tried using this site's spell check, but it wanted me to stop using large vocabulary words saying that "It is too hard on the readers." Sorry, but I fancy large words.

Chapter 4 will be up soon and since it is Thanksgiving week here is America, I have a lot more time to write. Please rate&review! Bye!


	4. Chapter 4

Note: (b/n)= brother's name

* * *

Practice ended about an hour and a half later. The six of you are walking towards the station together, ready to go home. Nagisa is hounding Rei about a game that he wants to borrow, Gou is talking to Makoto about their upcoming joint practice with Samezuka, and Haru was staring at the sea off in the distance. You hang at the back of the group, listening quietly. Even though they accepted you into their group with open arms, you still feel like an outsider at times.

"What's wrong?" Makoto asks you suddenly.

"It's nothing," you respond cheerfully. "I'm perfectly fine!" You flash Makoto a large smile. He seems to cheer up a little, but still remains suspicious.

The six of you reach the station in time for the train. Nagisa, Rei, and Gou board the train and wave goodbye; then the train departs.

"Umm, I have something to do now. I'll see you all tomorrow." You begin to walk away from Makoto and Haru, but Makoto stops you.

"Are you okay (l/n)-chan?" Worry clouds his face. _How many times have I heard that question?_

"I'm fine." You smile to reassure him, hopeful that he won't see through your facade. "I just need to pick something up from the convenience store." You try to leave once again, but Makoto grabs your hand to stop you.

"I'll go with you. It isn't safe for a girl to walk around alone at night."

"It's alright Tachibana-senpai. I'm fine on my own." _I'm fine on my own._ Those words stick oddly in your chest. You were fine on your own, right? "I will see you tomorrow morning." You turn and wave goodbye, then head away from the station.

* * *

You work at a small convenience store not far from the station. Sure, it isn't a dream job, but it pays well and understands your schedule. You work Mondays through Thursdays from 6-10, giving you time after school to relax a bit.

You walk into the store only to hear a harsh voice from behind the counter.

"Look who decided to show up." The voice belongs to your coworker.

_Damn Maya, I don't need his pestering today. _You scowl at him

Hiroshi Maya is a 23 year-old college drop-out. Apparently, he got into too many fights during high school and almost flunked out. It is an amazement that he even got into college. Then, he just dropped out a month after classes started.

The two of you work the same shifts so you have to see him almost every day. He is extremely crude and always picks on you. There isn't a name that he hasn't called you! If it wasn't for your manager, the two of you would have killed each other by now.

"I'm sorry. I forgot that you can't even wipe your own ass without my help," you counter. Turning away from a glaring Maya, you cheerfully call out to your manager. "Good evening Suzuki-san!"

Suzuki Himeno is the owner's daughter and your manager. She stands at only 4'7" with long wavy brown hair and bright green eyes She looks as if she is fresh out of high school, but is already 43. You hadn't believed her at first, but eventually came to adore her.

"Good evening (y/n)-chan. How was school today?"

"It was great ma'am!" Suzuki-san is always able to cheer you up, no matter the circumstance.

"Two faced bitch..." Maya mutters from nearby. Before you can react, however, Suzuki-san pulls out a folding fan and smacks him on the head.

There is one more thing about Suzuki-san that you love: she has two personalities. On one side, she is a sweet, caring, housewife, but on the other... she is a violence loving maniac. She carries around a white folding fan with pink petals and tends to hit people (Maya) on the head with it.

"If you have time to talk, you have time to work," she scolds Maya. You snicker at his pout, earning another glare.

* * *

You begin your shift by stocking the shelves. Every now and again, Maya passes a snide remark, but is rebuked by Suzuki-san hitting him on the head. Working here is a lot of fun and, even though Maya is annoying as hell, you really enjoy it. The store doesn't get too many customers, but there is always something to be done. By the time your shift is over, you are quite worn out; four hours pass quickly every day.

"Good work today guys," Yuki, another employee, chimes. "Aoi and I will take over from here. You guys go get some sleep." Close behind her was Aoi, her boyfriend. The two of them met working this job and kind of just hit it off. They work the two shifts after yours and often bring cake when they arrive.

"What did ya bring us today Yuki?" Maya asked, earning a hit from Suzuki-san. "What was that for?!"

"Manners child. Manners." She scolds.

"We had extra jello at work today; the flavor choices are orange, grape, and watermelon," Aoi spoke out next, answering Maya's question. Aoi works at a dessert buffet right before this and always brings you and Maya leftovers. He turns to you before continuing. "What would you like (y/n)-san?"

"Orange!" you cheer. He hands you the cup before turning to Suzuki-san.

"The hell?! I never get to pick first!" Maya pouted.

"Ladies first crybaby."

"Obviously not, cause you picked first (y/n)," Maya sneers.

"What was that you ass?!" A low growl slips from your lips.

"You heard me, _brat_."

You launch at Maya, intent on ripping his smug grin off of his face. Before anyone can stop you, you land a swift kick to Maya's gut. He falls to the ground, coughing. Quickly regaining his composure, Maya seizes your ankle and pulls it out from under you. Your body plummets to the ground and is soon pinned by Maya. During your frantic thrashing, you thrust you knee into his groin. He collapses on the ground next to you, allowing you to roll away.

"Damn...bitch..." Maya snarls. He struggles to his feet and prepares to launch himself at you. The others, however, have had enough. Aoi rushes behind Maya and slams him to the ground while Yuki traps you in an impenetrable hold.

"That is enough you two," Suzuki-san yells. She smacks both of you with her fan and growls, "If you two cause anymore problems, I will fire you both."

"Yes ma'am," the two of you mutter in unison.

"Now apologize to each other and go home."

The two of you turn towards each other, waiting for the other to begin. Suzuki-san clears her throat, signaling her fading patience.

"I'm sorry..." you begin, "for kicking you." Though you don't really regret kicking him, you had gone too far.

"I'm sorry for calling you names (y/n)." Maya turns his face away, ashamed by how stupid he had acted.

"Truce?" The two of you spoke in unison again and burst out into laughter.

With the heavy atmosphere gone and the shift over, the two of you head home together. Maya lives on the other side of your neighborhood, but offers to walk you all the way home.

"Why, so you can send someone to take me out during the night?" you mock.

"It's just an offer. Take it or leave it bra-, I mean...(y/n)." You notice a slight blush cross his face.

_Hmm, this guy has a cute side too. _

You and Maya walk the rest of the way in silence. When you reach the steps leading up to your house, you wave goodbye to Maya.

"Hey," he calls out, "I really am sorry, about everything."

"Thank you. Goodnight Maya." With that, you continue up the stairs alone.

* * *

As you lay in bed that night, you ponder over the day's events. Nagisa inviting you to join the club, Rei telling you his story, Maya actually being nice to you, and lastly: Makoto. The way his muscles rippled with every stroke. The way his brown hair glistened when it was wet. The feeling of his hand in yours.

_His body is amazing and he is so nice to everyone. I wonder is he has a girlfriend... _You shake your head furiously at the thought. _Of course he does. Men like him are never single. Besides... _Before you can finish the thought, your cell phone rings.

You reach over to your nightstand and examine the caller id. _'Mother' _You are startled by her call. No one in your family had contacted you since you moved in. You only received a simple text on the day you landed in Japan. _'Be good and take care of the house. -Mother' _Hesitantly, you answer the phone and lift it to your ear.

"Hello?"

**_"About time you answered."_**

"Sorry, I didn't have my phone on me. Did you need something?"

**_"Must I need something in order to call my own daughter who lives on the other side of the world?" _**_Father forced you to call, right?_

"No ma'am. How are things in England?"

**_"Things are great. We are so happy here. It is everything I could have asked for." _**_'The three of us are perfect without you.'_

"That's great. Is (b/n) doing well at Oxford?"

**_"Of course he is. He does well in school."_**_ 'Unlike you' you mean. __**"He has been offered an internship and is quite successful."**__ 'And what have you done with your life? Nothing.'_

"Good for him."

**_"How is your school? Make any new friends?" _**You are surprised once more by your mother. She never held any interest in your personal life while you were growing up.

"Yes ma'am. I have made several new friends. Three of them are in my grade and two are upperclassmen." There is a pause on the other end of the call.

**_ "Upperclassmen?"_**

"Yes ma'am."

**_ "Are they men?"_**_ Huh? Why do you care?_

"Why does it matter?"

**_ "Answer the question." _**You scowl at her demanding tone and decide to keep the truth to yourself.

"No, they are both women." The lie slips easily from your mouth. At a young age you learned to always tell your mother what she wanted to hear, even if it was a lie. "Why does it matter which gender they are Mother?"

**_"We do not need any scandals in the family. You would do well to remember that." _**

With that, she hangs up the phone. You listen to silence for a moment before returning your phone to the nightstand. The silence remains thick in the air, but you can take it no more. You rise from your bed and make you way to the window. Upon opening it, a cool breeze wafts past your face. With winter quickly approaching, the temperatures at night drop tremendously. It wouldn't be long until the days stayed cold.

_I wonder if the swim club has an indoor pool that they swim in. Nanase-senpai would probably swim outside despite the weather though. _A slight giggle escapes your lips. Being with the Iwatobi Swim Club members always lightens your mood. You soon forget the conversation with your mother and all of the dark thoughts that came with it.

As you gaze out at the star filled sky, memories of your time in this room flow through your mind. You and Samantha had spent countless nights gazing out at the stars just like this. A twinge of sadness rises in your chest, then tears soon follow. The sound of choking sobs fills the room with dread. A foreign, weak voice emanates from within.

"Samantha..." the frail voice whimpers, "I'm so sorry..."

* * *

A/N: Hello! I am posting this early since Thanksgiving just ended here in America. To show my thanks to those who are reading this story, I wanted to give you guys another chapter. I was playing Legend of Zelda all day, so I didn't get this up as early as I would have liked...but here it is. Please excuse any grammar or spelling mistakes. Enjoy!

Edit: I just realized how short these chapters are on this site. I will make them much longer starting next chapter if I can.


	5. Chapter 5

The rising sun filters through your windows. Crawling out of bed, you drag yourself to the bathroom in desperate need of a shower. You turn the water to hot and wait for the cold water to leave the pipes. In the meantime, you glance at your reflection in the mirror only to be startled by the sight. Your eyes are red and puffy, dried tears stain your face, and you (color) hair looks likes a bird's nest. You let out a groan and turn away from the sight.

The scalding hot water relaxes your muscles and purifies your face of tears and mucus. Before you can even apply shampoo, you have to use conditioner just to untangle your hair. It takes you a while, but you succeed in destroying the nest of hair. You remain in the shower for another hour before turning off the water.

Now clean and refreshed, you walk back to your room in merely a towel. The Iwatobi school uniform is draped over the back of your desk chair in a messy fashion. You slip a (color) undershirt over your head, trying to not dislocate the towel wrapped around your head. Next, the skirt, then the shirt are slipped on and zipped up. You tie a black ribbon to your wrist, completing your daily school attire.

You make your way downstairs to cook your breakfast and lunch for today. For breakfast, you fry eight strips of bacon on a skillet until they turn crispy. Then you cook scrambled eggs in the leftover bacon grease. You finish it off with a glass of water and two pieces of toast. After eating half of your breakfast, you begin on lunch. The leftover food from breakfast is placed into your bento box and joined by a serving of fried rice.

"That looks good." Pleased by your lunch, you place the lid on your bento and wrap it up. "I should make some melon bread this weekend..."

You glance over at a clock hanging on the wall. _'7:30' _You still have some time before you have to meet up with Makoto and Haru. The three of you walk to school together every day now due to how close you all live to one another. Since classes start at 8:30, the three of you usually leave around 8. To pass the time, you pull out your 3DS and start playing Final Fantasy: Theatrhythm. Before you know it, your watch alerts you to the changing hour. You put the device away, pick up your backpack, and head out the front door.

Frigid air slaps you across your face as you lock the front door. A cold front had blown through last night, signaling the approaching winter. You wonder what the swim team does about practice at this time of the year as you turn the corner leading to the stone steps. Makoto is already waiting at the steps, playing with the little white kitten.

"Good morning Tachibana-senpai." Makoto turns around to face you when he hears your voice.

"Good morning (l/n)-chan. Did you sleep well last night?"

"Yes, I did. How about you?" You sit next to him and offer the kitten a feather toy. She races towards you, forgetting all about the toy Makoto has in his hand.

"I slept like a log," he laughs. "Ren and Ran stayed up really late last night playing. They asked me to play with them as well and, well, I just couldn't say no to them." Makoto rubs the back of his head, slightly embarrassed. You, however, burst out laughing.

"That is so adorable! What did they want to play?" You wipe a tear from the corner of your left eye, struggling to breathe. Makoto flushes a bright red.

"H-house," he stutters.

"And what were you?" Makoto remains silent, however. His head droops and his gaze refuses to leave the ground. "Tachibana-senpai?"

"...kitty." A thick silence surrounds the two of you. You can hardly process the words that came out of his mouth.

"...huh?" you question, slightly dumbfounded.

"They made me the house cat." Makoto's face is now a beat red. When the silence doesn't lessen, he glances up at you. Nothing except shock can be seen on your face. Your mind, however, is far from silent.

_C-cat?! Tachibana-senpai was the cat?! Did he have ears and a tail too? I... kind of want to see that..._

* * *

_ "Ma-makoto-kun, um, this situation is kind of..." you stutter. You are on the floor with your back against the wall in a bare room. The only object in the room is a single size bed. Makoto is on his hands and knees right in front of you, mere inches from your face. He slowly sways his hips back and forth, causing a cat tail to sway with him. Light brown cat ears are nestled securely in his hair as if they are natural._

_ "Do you not like kitties, (y/n)?" His voice is deep, smooth, and laced with sadness; a chill races down your spine. His normally gentle eyes have morphed into ones filled with anxiety and lust. Your face is quickly heating up and so are your lower areas._

_ "N-no... I love kitties." Makoto smiles brilliantly at your words and slowly advances closer._

_ "Then... pet me." Makoto leans down slowly and licks your lips. A slow, sweet kiss initiates between the two of you. The kiss is hesitant and soft, but filled with longing. Makoto leans back then licks your lips again, this time requesting entrance. You hesitate at first, but open your mouth slightly to let him in. His tongue glides into your mouth and begins to dance with yours. Muffled moans and hushed gasps fill the room._

_ "(y/n)," Makoto moans against your mouth. His hand begins to trail down towards your hips, then back up underneath your shirt._

_ "Ma-makoto-kun."_

"It really is weird huh?" Makoto's pained voice breaks through your fantasy. He looks away from you, crestfallen.

"No no no, that's not it!"

"Huh?"

"I just.." you look away, blushing.

"(l/n)-chan?"

"I just thought that you would look really cute..." Makoto just stands there, stunned by your comment. You become even more flustered, desperate to change the situation. "N-nanase-senpai sure is taking a while. We should go check on him." You race back towards Haru's house, head hanging low in embarrassment.

* * *

When lunch rolls around, the six of you gather in your classroom for lunch; the roof being too cold and windy today. You pull together a few desks and six chairs, then sit down to enjoy your leftovers.

"Since it is so cold today," Gou begins, "practice is cancelled."

"We should all do something together tonight then!" Nagisa cheerfully suggests.

"What did you have in mind Nagisa?" Makoto inquires.

"Hhmmm...oh! How about a gaming night?"

Rei speaks up next. "Gaming night?"

"Yeah! We can all meet up at someone's house, eat a bunch of snacks, and play games together!"

"Who's house?" Gou asks, causing the group to go quiet.

"We can go to my house," Makoto offers.

"Really? Would it be okay with your family?" Rei questions.

"I will call and ask them." Makoto pulls a green phone out of his pocket and calls home. After a quick conversation, he hangs up and gives us the 'okay'.

"What games should we bring?" Nagisa chimes.

"All I have is a 3DS, sorry," Gou replies sullenly.

"I have one too Kou-san," Rei returns cheerfully, "we can play together."

"Then I'll bring my 3DS too!" After Nagisa speaks, he turns towards you. "What about you (y/n)-chan?"

"I have a 3DS as well," you begin. "I also have a Wii and a Playstation 3; would you like me to bring either of them?"

"Ah, then will you bring two Playstation 3 controllers and all of the multiplayer games you have for it?" Makoto asks.

"Sure, no problem." With that, the conversation dies out, but is soon replaced by another.

The rest of lunch passes rather quickly; filled with random topics and Nagisa stealing food. A few minutes before the end-of-lunch bell rings, a knock sounds from the classroom door. A tall, third-year boy is standing in the doorway, glancing around.

"Are you looking for something?" a girl sitting by the door asks.

"Is (y/f/n) in this class?" the boy asks.

"(y/n)-chan? Yes she is." The girl looks over at you and points. "That's her over there." The boy walks over to where you are sitting with the swim club members. He looks down at you with a surveying stare.

"You're (y/f/n)?" he scoffs.

"Yeah, do you have a problem with that?" you growl, annoyance lacing your voice. However, he just ignores your question.

"We need to talk." He looks at the people at the table with you before continuing. "Alone." You hesitate to answer, weighing your options, but eventually consent.

"Fine." You turn to address the group while rising from your seat. "I'll talk to you guys later I guess."

You follow closely behind the upperclassman as he weaves through the crowds of students in the hallways. He guides you up to the roof; pausing only a moment before opening the door. A blast of cold wind rushes towards you. You ignore the sting of the harsh weather and walk out onto the rooftop. In the middle of the roof is a small crowd of student awaiting your arrival. A single boy steps forward from within the group. He has dark black hair and brilliantly bright green eyes. You glance down at his tie and see that he is a senior like the boy who led you here.

"(y/f/n)-san?" the boy asks.

"Yeah, that's me. The hell do you want? It's pretty damn cold up here you know." You cannot contain your annoyance as you talk to the boy.

"So the rumors are true..." he trails off.

"Huh? What rumors?"

"You really are as crude and aggressive as they say," he mocks, a smirk clearly plastered on his face.

You click your tongue, fed up with how the upperclassmen have been addressing you. "If that is all you had to say, I'm leaving." You turn around, ready to walk away.

"Scared?"

"If it helps you sleep at night, then sure."

"Not the reaction I was expecting from a delinquent."

"Oh? Then... how about I humor you?" You launch at the boy, fist at the ready. He barely dodges your punch, but doesn't try to fight back.

"Relax. I'm not here to fight you. My name is Tsukiyomi Akira. I am the captain of the tennis team and have called you here to recruit you."

"Recruit me? Why?"

"You played tennis in America, right?" He pulls a folded piece of paper out of his blazer, then continues. "(y/f/n). Ranked in the top three at state and top five at nationals. Kicked from team due to fighting."

"You investigated me?" You tear you gaze from him, audibly growling stings of curses in English. Memories of all the years you played tennis rush back into your head. Tennis was a sport that you had originally gotten into just to stay out of the house. Eventually, you grew to love the sport; you were pretty good at it too. However, a bunch of high schoolers who were also competing picked a fight, so you indulged them. "That's right, I did really well in America, but got in a lot of fights with the other teams and kicked from my team." You return you gaze to his face and make eye contact. "Knowing all of that, why recruit me? You said it yourself, I'm crude and aggressive. You never know when I may snap."

"Oh, I'm not worried about that." His declaration startles you.

"And why is that?"

"I have been watching you since you started here (y/n). I know that you are putting on a good face in front of those swimming freaks. You wouldn't do anything that would threaten your past getting out."

"So what is this? Blackmailing me to make me join the team?"

"Of course not. I want you to join our team and go to nationals with us. You have the skill and desire to play, we have the team and court for you to do so. Isn't that a perfect fit?" The conversation dies away as you consider everything that Akira had said.

"You're not that good at the whole recruitment thing, you know that?"

"Heh, you're still here so I can't be that bad."

"True." You turn and walk back inside, stopping at the door only to leave a response. "Let me think about it for a while." When you return to the classroom, only Rei and Nagisa are left.

"Did the others go back to their own classrooms?" you ask Rei as you sit down at your desk.

"Yeah, the lunch bell rang while you were gone."

"I heard it. Anyways, did I miss anything?"

"Not really. Oh, but we did decide on a meeting time. Five o'clock in front of the station; we will stop by the convenience store on the way to Makoto-senpai's."

"Got it."

The teacher walks into the room and begins her lecture. Though you are excited about tonight, you cannot pull your thoughts away from your conversation with the tennis club. You spend the rest of the afternoon trying to decide which club you should join.

* * *

A/N: Sorry that this is so late. I had school and finals. I was also going through a rut and couldn't write. To top it all off: I woke up sick this morning. -_- The world loves me. Anyways, here is chapter 5 and I will begin on chapter 6 tonight. If I don't finish 6 before then, Happy Holidays! Sorry about the name change, I didn't like the first name. Bye ^.^


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